Narendra Modi’s war on India’s democracy, explained.

(first post here. hope this is okay)

    • wheresmypillow@lemmy.oneEnglish
      3·
      1 year ago

      My understanding is that India has a fairly weak federal government. The real power rests with the states, and they are ideologically diverse.

  • BlackCock@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Actually no. Indian democracy has a clear division of power as per the constitution divided between the state and central government, which is followed very religiously. The ruling party is actually quite popular among the people when it comes to national election, but the same party gets proper ass whopping in a lot of state assembly elections. Indian democracy crumbling is a false narrative that is peddled by a lot of western media, but the reality is there is no strong opposition to the ruling party at national level, but at state level a lot of regional parties decimate the central ruling party.

    • evirac@vlemmy.netEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      The prime minister’s anti-democratic behavior has accelerated over time. In the past year alone, Modi’s government has:

      Expelled the leader of the opposition party, Rahul Gandhi, from parliament after he was sentenced to two years of prison for allegedly defaming the prime minister with a joke.
Taken over one of the few remaining independent television stations through a crooked billionaire ally.
Created an official panel empowered to take down social media posts critical of the government.
Sent tax officials to raid the BBC’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, a move widely seen as retaliation for a documentary critical of Modi.

      I don’t have a lot of knowledge on Indian political system but this seems like a pretty clear indication of them trying to make the country less democratic. The West doesn’t have any grudges towards India and I certainly don’t benefit one bit from badmouthing India but this does seem like control is being taken away from Indian citizens